Improvement in automatic boiler-feeders



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

G. ADOLPH RIEDEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC BOILER-FEEDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,035, (latedSeptember I9, 1865; antedated May 11, 1865.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, G. ADoLPH RIEDEL, of`

ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a Self-Rega lating VVater-Feeder forSteam-Boilers without a Pump or Injector; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe constructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a sideelevation of the feeder. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is amodified arrangement for forcing water into the boiler.

Like letters in both figures represent thc same parts.

My invention consists of a self-regulating water-feeder forsteam-boilers without a pump or injector, and is an improvement on thelowwater indicator for steam-boilers for which a patent was granted tome April 18, 1865.

The nature of the invention will be understood by the followingdescription.

A is a vertical pipe, which is connected at its lower end to thehorizontal pipe B by means ofthe elbow a, and .at its upper end to thehori- Zontal pipe B' by means of the elbow a.

C is a receiver, which holds one or more gallons. It is made to rise andfall by the alternate reception of steam and water from the boiler, therising and falling being occasioned by the difference between the weightof the water and steam. There are holes b through the sides of the pipeA, by which an open coinmunication is eectcd between the pipe and thereceiver C. The said receiver is provided with stuffing-boxes c c, whichconnect it with the pipe A, and by means of which it has an easymovement thereon, as will be presently described. There is avalve-chest, D, connected with the right-hand end of the pipe B, and asimilar chest, D7 in connection with the pipe B', in a perpendicularline above the former. The chest D isprovided with a valve., E, foropening and closing the opening cl, and there is a similar valve, E',for opening and closing the opening d. There is a titting,F, connectedwith the outer end of the valve-chest D by means of the short pipe G,which is screwed into the chest and fitting. The said fitting has ascrew, c, in its outer end for the purpose of forming a connection witha feedpipe to supply the boiler with water. The elbow H is connected tothe valve-chest D by means of the short pipe I, which merely serves as aconnecting-piece. The upright shaft J, by means of screws on its ends,forms a connection with the iitting F and the elbow H. On the under sideof the valve-chest D there is a chamber,f, which has a female screw, j",by means of which a vertical pipe is connected with the said chest. Thepipeis passed through Vthe top of the boiler, and is secured thereto bymeans of bolts through an annular flange ot the former, or in any otherconvenient manner. The lower end of the pipe is placed to thewater-line, so as to form a connection between the receiver G and thewater in the boiler.

K and K are forked levers, connected with the stems g and g of thevalves E and E' by means of the pins li and h. There are screwbolts t'in the opposite sides of the upright 'shaft J, which serve as fulcrumsfor the levers K and K.

L is a forked lever, which has fulcruin-pins jin opposite sides of theelbow-pipe a. The short and inner end of the lever is connected with thereceiver C by means of the jointed strap lc and uprights or studs Z. Thelever is provided with aconnter-weight, M, for the purpose of bringingthe receiver into its upper position when the water has been dischargedfrom it, as will be hereinafter explained. The said weight is made tochange its distance from the fulcruin of the lever, being guided byparallel bars, as represented in the drawings, to increase and decreasethe power of the lever, it being farther from the fulcrum, as the leverdescends to raise the receiver (Land nearer when the receiver is down,as represented by red lines. N is a blow-odl coclr for the receiver.

The receiver, being thus arranged in relation to the boiler andfeed-pipe, is iliade to rise and fall by means of the difference betweenthe weight of water-and the weight of steam, which it alternatelycontains, and by its rising and falling to open and close thecommunication between it and the feed-pipe in such a manner as topreserve a uniform depth of water in the boiler at all times.

The operation is as follows :l When the water in the boiler gets belowthe water-line, which consequently cuts off the communication between itandthe lower end of the vertical pipe connected with the boiler, andintermediately with the receiver C, by means of the pipes B and A, allthe water in the receiver falls, by means of the said pipes, into theboiler. The receiver, being thus lightened, is forced upward by theweighted lever L into the position it assumes in Fig. l, and in itsupward movement the lever K is relievedof the pressure against it of thelower end of the receiver, and the steam, in flowing from the boiler tothe valvechest D, closes the valve E, and the upper end of the receiver,by pressing on the end ot' the lever K', opens the valve E', whichcauses the water to ow from the feed-pipe` into the receiver and fillit. rlhe receiver has then, by its increased weight, overcome the forceot' the weighted lever L, and descends until its lower end reaches theposition indicated by red lines. As soon as the receiver commencesfalling, the lever K', being consequently relieved of its upwardpressure, descends and comes into the position indicated by red lines,and by its downward course closes the valve E', and thereby cuts off thecommunication between the feedpipe and the receiver. The lower end ofthe receiver, in coming into the position represented by red lines,bears against the outer end of the lever K, and thereby opens the valveE, which effects a communication between the receiver and the boiler forthe replenishing of the latter with water, and so on successively thecommunication between the receiver and the feed-pipe and the boiler isopened and closed, so as to automatically keep a uniform supply of waterin the boiler without the use -of Aa pump or injector or other similardevice.

0, the lower end ofthe pipe extending to the A water-line, there beingan annular space between the two pipes for the passage of steam from theboiler. rlhere is a valve-chest, D", connected with the pipes A' and A"by means ofthe L-f1tting 0. The pipe A" is connected with the pipe B' bymeans of the I -iitting a'", T-fitting am', and short pipe B". There isaforlred lever, K", connected with the pipe A" and stem g" of the valveE". The said valve is opened and closed at the same time and in the samemanner as the valve E.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of myimproved self-regulating water-feeder for steam-boilers without a pumpor injector, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the receiver C, with the valves E E',pipes B B', and levers K K', with reference to the feed-pipe and boiler,substantially upon the principle and in the manner herein set forth.

1n testimony that the above is my invention I have hereunto set my handand seal this 8th day of May, 1865.

G. ADOLPH RIEDEL.

Witnesses: STEPHEN UsTIcK W. W. DoUGHER'rY.

n. si

